This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 197 47 963.4, filed Oct. 30, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a torque converter connection to a crankshaft in the drive train of a motor vehicle, with interposition of a torsional vibration damper located outside the torque converter.
It is already known to connect a torque converter with a crankshaft with interposition of a torsional vibration damper. German Patent Document DE 36 06 707 A1 describes such an arrangement whose assembly is possible only with difficulty and expense.
Hence an object of the invention is to provide a releasable connection between the torque converter and a crankshaft with interposition of a torsional vibration damper that can be installed simply.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing an arrangement wherein the connection between the torque converter and the torsional vibration damper is a shafthub connection provided with lengthwise teeth.
According to the invention, a driving connection for torque transmission is provided in the drive train of a motor vehicle for releasable connection of a crankshaft to a coaxial hydrodynamic torque converter with interposition of a torsional vibration damper located outside the torque converter, with the connection between the torque converter and the torsional vibration damper being a shaft-hub connection provided with lengthwise teeth.
Connecting the torque converter and torsional vibration damper by a shaft-hub connection provided with lengthwise teeth has the advantage that the torque converter connection can be mounted simply. For this purpose, the torsional vibration damper and torque converter need only be pushed together in the axial direction so that the Lengthwise teeth on the shaft and hub mesh with one another.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the hub or shaft with lengthwise teeth on the torque converter and the matching element of the shaft-hub connection are mounted on the torsional vibration damper.
This has the advantage that the torque-transmitting connection between the torsional vibration damper and the torque converter consists of very few parts that can be assembled at low cost.
In addition, the invention prevents separation of the lengthwise teeth since the torsional vibration damper decouples the torque converter from the torsional vibrations of the crankshaft.
In addition, axial and radial tolerances are compensated by the lengthwise teeth.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, a rotor of an electrical machine is formed at the torsional vibration damper. Thus the rotor, as it turns, can operate as an electrical machine together with a stator mounted on the crankcase. In this way the electrical machine can operate as both a motor and a generator. During motor operation, an operating mode as the starter motor for the internal combustion engine is also possible in particular.
Another advantageous feature of embodiments of the invention provides that the torque converter and crankshaft have a shapewise centering connection that acts at least in the radial direction. This centering connection between the torqueconverter and the crankshaft is so designed that it is initially created when the torque converter is displaced in the direction of the crankshaft during assembly. It is only after the installation of the centering connection that the lengthwise teeth of the shaft and hub are pushed into one another by further displacement of the torque converter toward the crankshaft, to produce the connection between the torque converter and the torsional vibration damper. This has the advantage that even simpler and more reliable assembly is guaranteed.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.